Blue fringing on the moon - naked eye

[furrysocks2]

Having put the scope away, I stood and looked at the moon for a good while the other night, trying to imagine it as the orbiting ball of rock it is. It was earlier on the night of the penumbral eclipse, so bright. Half closing my eyes and playing with the diffraction lines off my eyelashes was fun for a bit, rolling and yawing my head around.  Was nice just watching the clouds drift in front of it, though watching that motion for so long, I glanced overhead at Ursa Major and it immediately appeared to move and I lost my balance - ha!

 

Anyway, I wasn't sure what was up... moon looked a bit like this:

I tried alternating eyes, rotating my head and I think I reached the conclusion that it wasn't my retina, but could either be my lens, fluid on the surface, or the atmosphere. I did try blinking and had some ghosting that seemed to move around a bit after a blink, but not sure if there were maybe two effects I was seeing.

 

Is this a "thing"?

[johnfosteruk]

I reckon atmospheric refraction, moisture, murk, pollution etc.

but what do I know? 

 

[barkis]

I thinkyou  had funny Mushrooms for Dinner .
The falling down bit clinched it .

[Dave In Vermont]

Either ice-particles refracting light in the upper-atmosphere. Or YOU have 'achromatic-eyeballs' and should buy the more expensive 'apochromatic-eyeballs!'

I'll get my coat.....

Dave

[SilverAstro]

1 hour ago, barkis said:

I thinkyou  had funny Mushrooms for Dinner .
The falling down bit clinched it .

I was about to say "not enough Laphroaig", but on second thoughts , , ,

Last time I tripped and fell whilst looking at the moon and not where I was going was over a bag of compost someone had left on the patio ( no names no pack-drill ) I landed in a shrub which should have been ok as it was not a thorny variety. Sadly swmbo had parked a stick in it, a broom handle to be precise, stabed me in the ribs just under the arm pit good job it was a blunt end else I might not be here now for it was aimed at the heart got away with a sore chest for two weeks !

So be carefull when howling at the moon.

 

 

[barkis]

7 hours ago, SilverAstro said:

I was about to say "not enough Laphroaig", but on second thoughts , , ,

Last time I tripped and fell whilst looking at the moon and not where I was going was over a bag of compost someone had left on the patio ( no names no pack-drill ) I landed in a shrub which should have been ok as it was not a thorny variety. Sadly swmbo had parked a stick in it, a broom handle to be precise, stabed me in the ribs just under the arm pit good job it was a blunt end else I might not be here now for it was aimed at the heart got away with a sore chest for two weeks !

So be carefull when howling at the moon.

 

 

Amazing how simple acts can lead to a devastating consequence.
One can never foresee possible outcomes, but happy you got away with this one without serious harm.
Nothing should ever deter folks from observing the Moon, it is and always will be a fascinating place.

The other night,I thought my Jack Russell Pip was barking at a cat on our garage roof. Investigation revealed no Cats, only a full Moon.
When I called him in, he did so, but stopping occasionally to look back, and his gaze was definitely towards  our satellite .

[furrysocks2]

I've fallen off the garden path and ended up leaning in the neighbours hedge a couple of times, looking up.

If it's the atmosphere then in theory could it be imaged - blue filter and over-exposed disc? Or would glow from the disc blow out such a fringe?

I reckon it was my eyes, but from memory the fringing didn't rotate with my head, stayed in the orientation in my mock up, wrt vertical.

[Astro Imp]

You can't be too careful out in the dark.

A couple of months back I was out with the bins and tripped over an old stump I should really have removed ages ago. Ended with a nasty bruise on the hip that coloured nicely, still could have been worse.